Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-24

dertaken he was not WITH them, ana tOucnlng
that be only recites the details given to him
by bis father some years Afterwards. But
among these details are many little incidents
which have since been strikingly corroborat
ed, and proven true by independent testimony. |
The testimony of Harvey, though not more
direct, is still more convincing and satisfac |
tory Cofessedly q member of the Stain gang |
in 1876, he was thrown into prison in Massa-
chusetts in the beginning of 1877 and served
three years, the term which was deducted for
his good behavior. Coming out from prison |
he appears to have abandoned utterly his
former life, to have broken with Stain and
with his crew, and to have led during all the
years since a sober and industrious life from
which he has obtained an honest and honor
able livelihood. Returning from prison to
to his old home in Medfeld, manfully living |
down the disgrace of his past. he has plainly |
won the sympathy, confidence and the re-
spect of his employers and of his neighbors.
The manner of his testimony is at once pic
turesque and striking. He was straightforward
and candid, seeking to disguise nothing that
made against himself, stating in clear, strong
fashion his knowledge of the case and the
confessions of guilt made to him by the pris-
oner Cromwell. No one could hear his testi-
mony without deep conviction that the story
honest man.
The counsel urges that the testimony of
these two men is the testimony of confess
ed criminals, but from whom else shall
the community discover the secret doings
of banded crime? If you would know the
inner history of church you must get it
from some member of that church. II you
would know the private methods used IN
a particular business, you must get it from
the men brought up in that business. If
you would expose to the blaze OF judicial
light and public knowledge the dark Sc
crets OF conspiracy and crime, you must
seek your knowledge at the hands OF one
of the conspirators and criminals. A min
lister of the gospel from Medtield would
be poor witness To the inner history OF
the Stain gang.
May it please the court if l have dwelt
at all on the outlines of the evidence which
the government presents, it is because the
people of this State have deep interest
in the discovery of the real authors OF
this dark and desperate deed. They have
right to know, so far as the evidence has
yet been introduced, the nature of the
testimony and the overwhelming force
with which it points to the prisoners at
the bar. They have a right to the char
acter and the criminal history of the men
whom the government here arraigns and
charges with the commission of this crime.
They have right to know what the men
whom the government presents here as
the men who on that fatal night in Febru-
airy passing through the outer doors OF the
bank with their skeleton keys found face
to face with them the cashier of the bank,
which they had thought to rob undetected,
the men who. surrounded with this des.
perate emergency, whipped out the slung
shot and dealt Barron the blows upon the
face and head which his person showed
after death. The public have right to
know that these men are men
whose whole lives have led by one broad,
red lurid pathway Of crime up to this
awful climax of murder. And in the name
of the people whom we here represent. In
the name of this community which thrilled
and shuddered at the horror of the crime,
in the name of the murdered man who for
almost ten years has waited his vindication,
in the name of his suffering wife and
family, who with angelic patience and
fortitude have waited for this hour,
charge David l., Stain and Oliver Crom-
well in the light of the evidence as it
is now developed with the robbery OF the
Dexter Bank and the murder of its cashier
Mr. Barron When at the trial which is
to come, the government shall have traced
out all the clues which it now holds and
shall have developed all the testimony
( which is within their knowledge, believe
the public will have full satisfaction OF
the truth of the charge that is here made.
At the close of the Attorney Generals re-
cas- eand stated that in view of the evidence
presented be could do nothing else than bind
the prisoners over to await trial at the Feb
ruary term of court. This announcement
was greeted with loud applause.
I When the train LETT Dexter Saturday ev-
ening it carried Stain and Cromwell back
again to their quarters in Bangor Jail. 1t
also carried merry crowd of reporters and
witnesses, glad that the work of this exciting
day was over, Mrs Cromwell sat in the seat
with her husband and talked with HIM all the
way down to Newport. She was evidently
much affected. Cromwell himself looked
! taSShTu anu "OIu
and it seemed to the Journal man as he
watched him that sooner or later in the
weeks of Jail life that lie before him
before the case comes to trial he would
break down and confess the whole story. At
Newport the prisoners parted with their
families. With Cromwell and his
wife it needed no stretch of i'm
agination to believe that the
separation was an exceedingly affect
ing one. Stain appeared very affectionate in
parting with his fair daughter but somehow
his quasi sentiment didn't have a profound
air of genuineness. During his wait in the
| depot his daughter stood by his side with one
hand resting upon his shoulder and talked to
him very earnestly. Tenderly she fixed his
coat collar and arranged his necktie, and as
she buttoned glove for him remarked 81
wish could unlock those off for you,"
meaning the handouts which ornamented her
fathers wrists. Stain smiled at this and an
swered that it would probably benefit him
very little if she could.
| Coming down on the train the Journal
scribe sat in the seat with John Harvey. He
was going out to Readfield to stop over Sun